Last weekend, I had the opportunity to attend the Council of the Great City Schools (CGSC) legislative conference in Washington, D.C., with my colleagues on the CCSD Board of Trustees, Superintendent Dr. Jesus Jara, and CCSD staff.
The CGSC is a national coalition of 78 of the largest urban public school systems in the country, working towards improving educational outcomes for children in urban districts. During the conference, we heard from Department of Education Secretary Miguel Cardona, who emphasized the importance of building systems instead of heroes. Meaning, we should take individual egos out of this work and focus on collective decision-making informed by data and facts while also building systems to support quality education that outlast individuals.
Dr. Jara also presented valuable information during a panel discussion about our District’s ESSER funding and how we are closing gaps with the help of these federal funds. In addition, we met with Nevada’s members of Congress and discussed the District’s innovative initiatives to address our workforce shortage and other challenges.
The conference provided us with an opportunity to gain insights and learn from other colleagues across the nation who face similar challenges. As a result, I am re-energized and optimistic about the possibilities as CCSD continues to develop strong and sustainable systems that improve educational outcomes for our children in Clark County.
Evelyn Garcia Morales, who represents District C, is the CCSD School Board President.
